Shrouded by Darkness
by stormy-raina
Summary: One officer is about to become ensnared in a tangled web. His life and the lives of those around him will be forever changed by a chance encounter. Has fate finally decided to be kind, or is this another cruel twist? That's for fate to know, and you and
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any parties, characters or so forth associated in any way with Third Watch, it's network, or anything else affiliated with it. I don't own much of anything besides the clothes on my back! Just a bit of fiction by a fan for the fans. No harm intended, no profit reaped, but enjoyment is hoped for.

A/N: If you're reading, great. Please take the time to review and let me know what you think. If you do, I promise to do the same.

Prologue

They say for every yin, there's a yang. Every death reaps new life. For every tear, somewhere in the world is a smile to balance it. Life is often alleged to be a series of events based on cause and effect. What about fate? How much of our lives are free will, and how much is predestined? Does happiness really hinge on being in the right place at the right time? If so, does that mean the majority of pain and sorrow are from being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Seems too simple to be true. Philosophers claim its impossible to truly know what joy is without ever knowing sorrow. Darkness and light chase each other in a never ending circle. The lines between pain and pleasure, love and hate are often so transcend able it is hard to distinguish one from the other. One officer is about to become ensnared in a tangled web. His life and the lives of those around him will be forever changed by a chance encounter. Has fate finally decided to be kind, or is this another cruel twist? That's for fate to know... and you and them to find out.

Chapter 1

9:22 PM the alley near Rolando's Liquor Store

She reeled backwards, colliding with the brick wall behind her from the force of the heavy blow. Another came quickly on its heels, barely giving her time to recover from the first before it connected soundly with her cheekbone. A ragged, pleading cry of fear and pain ripped from her throat and echoed eerily into the night. She curled her forearms up over her head, her fists clenched tightly as she buried her face behind them in a desperate attempt to escape the furious onslaught. A keening sob tore from her as iron like fists encircled her wrists and yanked them from her face. "Please." She begged, her shaky legs threatening to give out beneath her. Her captor's cruel grip was the only thing keeping her from slumping to the concrete.

He wrenched her hands away from her face, hauling her closer by a fistful of dark hair until his nose was touching hers. "Did you really think you could run away? New York might be a big city, honey, but I got eyes and ears everywhere." He snarled, giving her a slight shake.

Again, she cried out as he struck her across her face. Her fingers clutched at the hand tangled in her hair for support. The only thoughts she could muster were grateful that he had stopped using his fist. Grateful that now, he only struck her with his palm. A bright, blinding ray of light infiltrated her thoughts, illuminating the dark shadows of the alley. She clamped her eyes shut as stabbing protests shot through them at the unexpected invasion. Terror flooded her, wondering if he had made good on his threat to kill her as she felt herself falling to the ground. Her loud sobs died down to low whimpers as the heavy sound of rapid footfalls echoed farther and farther away from her. Kneeling on the cool concrete, she curled around herself in a tight ball, too afraid to move. Fear and shame prevented her from lifting her head and her heart almost stopped as a strong hand came to rest on one of her bowed shoulders.

"Hey. Ya alright, Miss?" A gruff, gravely voice inquired.


	2. Chapter 2

10:15 - 55th Precinct

Sully shifted his weight in the chair across the table from the victim, his eyes darting from her to Ty. They had been sitting in an empty interrogation room for the last twenty minutes, trying to pry information about her assailant out of her to no avail. She sat huddled under a worn thermal blanket, her shaky hands cradling the styrofoam cup of coffee he had handed her moments ago. A small compassionate frown formed on his lips as he watched her eyes close as she inhaled a tendril of steam. With her diminutive size and clothes that were far too big, she appeared even more fragile. "We can get this scum bag off the streets if you just tell us who he is." Sully urged. "Keep him from using you or some other woman as a heavy bag. At least give us your name."

She shook her head slowly. They didn't understand. Noone ever would. "Cassandra Connor. I'm twenty-nine years old and as for residence..." She let out a dry laugh. "You can put a question mark in that box."

Sully let out a quiet sigh and jotted down the first bit of information she had given them. Setting the pen down, he peered intently at her. The medics had looked her over at the scene, clearing her to go to the station. Her cheekbones boasted nasty swellings under her green eyes. The right one seemed to be the favored spot. Their perp was possibly left handed then. Her shoulder length blonde hair was dirty, her clothes had definitely seen better days, and dried blood mottled in with the grime on her face and hands. Nothing about her said hooker, so he was assuming she was one of New York's many homeless.

Ty locked eyes with Sully and jerked his head toward the door. Moments later, him and Sully stood in the corridor outside the room. "We've had her in there forever now, Sull. You think we are going to get anything else out of her?"

"She's scared, Ty. Who ever did this to her, has her spooked." Sully stated, glancing back towards the room. "I'm not giving up. Not yet."

Ty nodded and shrugged placatingly. No use getting the big guy all riled up. "Alright. I just don't think she's gonna talk. That's all I'm saying."

Sully gave his partner a reproachful scowl. "You who practically takes every troubled soul he runs into home like a stray puppy? You are calling it quits on me, Davis?"

Ty put his hands up and spread them in an apologetic gesture. "You wanna waste your time, Sully, go right ahead." Now came the look that set off warning bells. It was the look Sully gave him every time he was starting to get angry.

"Go make yourself useful, Ty. Run her name through the system and see what you come up with." Sully shot over his shoulder before stepping back into the room. He gave the young woman a reassuring smile before lifting a thigh to settle his rear on the edge of the table.

Cassandra sat there with her eyes closed after the officers left her alone with her thoughts. She took deep breaths, savoring the rich, soothing aroma of the coffee and the heat it radiated through the cup. It had been so long since she felt any real warmth. It had been so dark in the basement of that warehouse. Dark, damp, and had slow chill that seeped deep into her bones and rooted there. She dismally wondered if she would ever rid herself of that chill. The door opened and she jerked with a start, the scalding coffee sloshing dangerously over the rim of the cup. A quiet hiss of pain escaped her lips as the liquid splashed onto her hands. Turning, her eyes shot to the door fearfully. She slumped, relaxing a bit at the genuinely warm smile on Officer Sullivan's face.

"I never said thank you. I should thank you. He would have killed me if you hadn't stopped when you did." She whispered.

Sully reached out and gently patted her arm, not missing the way she flinched at the soft touch. "No problem. Just doin' my job, Ma'am." He said soothingly. He was glad Ty had been droning on about his latest sexual conquest, driving him half insane and forcing him to look out the window in an attempt to escape the uncomfortable conversation.

She was indeed lucky he had spotted the movement in the dim shadows of that alley. Damn lucky he had slowed way down and shone his spotlight into the darkness, chasing her assailant away. Not so fortunate that there had been a maze of alleys behind the one she had been in and hundreds of doors that provided the scum bag enough opportunity to elude Ty. Now, he wanted nothing more than to catch the son-of-a-bitch that did this to her. She was the fourth woman in a month who had been brutally beaten in an alley. A light rap on the long window drew him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Ty standing there motioning for him.

Sully patted her arm again and stood. "Sit tight for a sec. I'll be right back." He stepped out, gently shutting the door behind him and shook his head. "What do ya got?" He asked Ty, eyeing the paper in his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This is rated mature, but just incase it might bother or offend someone, this chapter contains descriptions of a murder vic. Just a heads up to you squeamish or sensitive ones out there. Other than that, the disclaimer is the same and thank you soooo much for the reviews. I love them. :)

10:30 - 55th Precinct

Ty glanced uncertainly at the sheets in his hand. There was no clear cut answer to what they did have. Not much of anything that gave any real answers, he thought with a wry frown. He glanced up, nodding a silent acknowledgment to Bosco as he drug a strung out man who was ranting about his rights down the hall by the guy's shirt.

"This jagoff is a real winner." Bosco stated with a sneer. "Lit up a freakin' crack pipe right in front of me 'n Faith when we were stoppin' at a red light. Ya believe that?"

"Yeah, yeah. Take your happy two person party down the hall, would ya?" Sully quipped, waving Bosco off impatiently.

Bosco stopped, still gripping the back of the stretched out shirt in front of him. His suspect nearly fell backwards with the force of the abrupt stop. Raising his eyebrows, Bosco managed to give Sully the smile he knew would immediately get under his skin. "Just outta curiosity, do you _ever_ get up on the right side of the bed? Cuz, ya know...as pissy as you always get, Sully, ya might want to consider pushin' that baby up against a wall or somethin'."

Sully responded with a smile that dripped sarcasm. "What can I say, Boscorelli? Seeing your mug always works wonders." He watched Bos nearly lift the druggie off his feet, wrenching a tighter grip on the cotton shirt as they moved along. "Jerk." Sully muttered under his breath. John rolled his eyes upward and let out an exasperated puff of air before turning his attention back to Ty.

"I dunno, Sully." Ty stated, handing the reports over and ignoring as best he could the mudslinging that Bosco and Sully always felt the need to start anytime they were within twenty feet of each other. "Says here Cassandra Connor was reported missing along with Rachel Parks when they were both sixteen. Rachel was found on Brighton Beach two years later, but Cassandra was never found. Like she fell off the face of the Earth until now."

Sully took the reports, looking them over as a sick feeling grew and twisted his gut. It was hard to believe the seemingly happy and healthy blonde teenager was the same frail and battered woman sitting in the station. There had been such life and a definite sparkle in the green eyes peering back at him from the picture. Beneath was a photo and description of Rachel Parks as she was last seen alive. He sighed heavily, remembering the more gruesome details when the case broke.

The pretty brunette with her big blue eyes had been found in Brighton Park alright. She had been dead a good week before she was found. A crude garrote had been affixed to her neck, the thick cable wires twisted so deeply they had actually cut into her flesh. Lividity made it hard to fully decipher the extent of her injuries, but it was apparent the girl had been a victim of extended periods of torture before she was finally put out of her misery. He winced at his thoughts, but death did seem to be the kinder choice. The poor girl was found with both scars and fresh wounds from burns, deep tissue bruising and several unhealed lacerations. The medical examiner had verified several fractures and significant sexual trauma to the victim.

Ty waited for Sully's gaze to shift away from the papers to speak. "Think she's telling the truth?"

Sully rolled the papers in his large hands, trying to bite back his aggravation as he tucked them into his back pocket. "Why would she lie about this, Davis?" He snapped. "Crap. Can you imagine what she must have went through."

"You don't know that Sully. Just because they went missing at the same time doesn't mean they had the same...well, it doesn't mean..." Ty floundered, deciding it was best he just shut his mouth now before Sully took his head off. He shook his head, wondering just when his partner would stop thinking of him as a kid. "Look, all I'm sayin' is she is still alive. That other girl was found dead like thirteen years ago, Sully."

"I know how to do simple addition, Ty." Sully barked. His facial expression softened some as Davis put his hands up defensively and took a big step back. "Either way, we have to find the scumbag that beat her tonight. I'd be willing to bet this guy is linked to those other alley assaults."

"Yeah, and none of them are talking either, Sull." Ty pointed out quietly.

"You wanna move out from under that dark cloud of gloom of yours and help me out here, Davis? What is with you tonight, anyway? Normally it's you who's all riled up and chomping at the bit to help people." Sully didn't bother waiting for a response, he merely turned and walked back into the room where Cassandra was sitting. Ty was close by on his heels.

She had since drawn her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly to her meager frame. The coffee cup trembled slightly in her hands as it rested on her knees. The desolate look in her flat green eyes wrenched at his heart as he took a seat. It stirred memories he had tried to bury in the past. It was the same look Tatiana got whenever she had been truly scared about something. Wordlessly, he drew the papers from his back pocket and pushed them across the table at her. She glanced down at them and then quickly turned her head as if she couldn't bear to see her own face. "Is that you?" Sully asked.

It was a long moment before she replied, her face still turned away. The voice that came out was so quiet he had to strain to hear what she was saying. "It is and it isn't." She whispered. "It's was me, but not anymore. That girl in the picture...she died a long time ago."


End file.
